Life — October 8, 1891 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LITERARY QUALITY OF PLAYS. NE of the law is ¢ tion of an English play— (Macmillan) by Henry Arthur Jones, Heretofore it was necessary to keep an English play in manuscript in order not to forfeit the American st hts. Mr. development of a literary quality in modern plays—as there has been no opportunity to judge of them simply as a form of literary expression. Now that an author may safely publish a successful play (and and Sinners” has surely been a successful play) Mr. Jones looks for an increasing appeal by playwrights to the judgment of literary critics. ‘This, he takes for granted, will be a good thing for the drama. Strongly opposed to the theory of Mr. Jones is that of a coterie of discriminating men who believe in the existence of each art for its own The h perfect expression of an artistic idea by that art alone, hybrids which they most detest are music-dramas, theological or patho- logical novels, architecture which is merely decorative, paintings which are literary in intention, and plays which are to be judged as novels, They probably believe that dresses by Worth, provided they exactly suit the character and period, are more to be counted as a part of th merit of a play than any literary quality which it may possess, It is ther form of the old dispute about the merits of colored statuary, and men will always settle it according to temperament and education, ® ° ° THE renewed interest of tite at this time more to the Ibsen craze than the American Copyright Literary people read Ibsen with enthusiasm, and then produced cording to their own canons of taste, Then a And now a play and a new comedy by Lord Ten- ificant results of the new American Copyright Saints and Sinners” Jones believes that this necessity has prevented the sake, lopment of any one art is for them the most Therefore the fry men in the drama is probably due law. his plays on the sta play with literary intention was produced in Roston, n London, n for stage purposes only, and not primarily by Henry James is acting son is announced (writ work) Not to be behind London in had a tragedy by Ruscell Sullivan (the present Henry James of Boston) and a comedy by Bill Nye (the late poet-laureate of Wyoming). vod thing, New York has recently THOSE RELIABLE HORSE ADVER- TISEMENTS, NOTHER phase of that versatility which F, Marion Crawford always impresses upon his readers is revealed in his fantastic tale, * The Witch of Prague” cmillan)—a romance that has less to with Ii “ Khaled There is some phi hypnotism, and a great deal of rhetoric Asa fairy tale for adults it may be ac- counted a four de force which no other writer of Mr, Crawford's rank would care to spend time upon ; or, i he attempted it, could he achieve anything approaching Me, Crawford's success than any of his works, even sophy in it, more Droch. NEW BOOKS. Tt S FROM SCOTTISH HIS] ted by William J. Rolfe. York: Harper and Brothers, ming. By Richard Kendall Munkit- rick, Ilustrated by Arthur Burdett Frost New York: Harper and Brothers. Impressions and Opinions. By George Moore. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. “Must one oF, OWNER LEAVES FOR Evrore bisposhy “VE been captured by de Hottentots And slaughtered full I have fought de wild Comanches When I've stood knee deep in gore ; I've been whirled up in Ihave smoked de cigs score, cyclone, ette, I have faced all kinds er peril And have not been frightened yet. But [ want to tell yer, stranger, An’ I'm givin’ it to yer straight, T wouldn't umpire ball games Fer de proceeds of der gate. OUR FRESH AIR FUND. jously acknowledged $8,652.26 J. P. and E. 8 petted Persian Cat." 10.00 Billiards. Te Onis. tess 2.00 3.0 Total F. C., from IN BABYLON. BUCHADNE puller to my presence at once. molars is strangely excited. Lorp HIGH MUCKAMUCK, OF THE ROYAL BED-CHAM- HER: He has gone to the ball game, your imperious cloud- lets, but | expect him at any moment. NEBUCHADNEZZAR: Gone to the ball game. has he? I will teach him to keep the sun off the bleaching boards when I require him to monkey with my molars. Dog! | will show his mosaic nervelets that he can’t play tin horn with me. Say, old man (as the reval tooth puller grovels), what was the score ? AR : Summon the royal tooth One of my royal comichooks.colm